Holograms: missing scene
by aja aron
Summary: A missing scene from the 1988 series episode "Holograms," which I'm pretty sure is evident from the title.


Disclaimer: not mine

Story notes: Assumes you are familiar with the _Mission: Impossible 1988_ series, characters and episodes. The following is a missing scene from episode three, titled "Holograms." It takes place after the team has met and learned of their case, but before they've actually left to start it. Needless to say, there are spoilers for that episode.

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**Mission: Impossible**

**Episode Three: Holograms (missing scene)**

**by aja**

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Kieron joined the team the following morning, arriving at the house by helicopter. He immediately stepped into the focused effort of equipment packing and organizing as the team prepared for their trip south. He had a serious set to his face, asked eloquent questions, and smiled genially and sincerely before following Jim off to where he would be settling his own gear.

Casey smiled politely in return, her lips slowly drawing together as she watched him leave the room at Jim's elbow.

Max stood straight from the box he'd been packing and faced her. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Nicholas and Grant stopped what they were doing and looked over.

"Nothing," she said, waving their gazes away, then hesitated, glancing back to the empty doorway. "Well, no. Actually, I'm wondering, do we really need him? We have the hologram footage already. You said yourself, Max, he's a child. Do you think he's really up for this?"

"She has a point," said Max, a serious frown folding into his forehead. "He _is_ just a kid. Nicholas, maybe you should check this with Jim."

Nicholas rolled his eyes with a half smile and turned back to the rope he'd been coiling, wondering exactly how they expected that conversation to go. As if Jim ever _wasn't_ serious about their plans and was bound to suddenly say, _Oh yeah—that Kieron thing—tell the team I was just kidding. _Though fun to contemplate, Nicholas wasn't going to let the futility of the current conversation get that far. He finished coiling his rope, turned casually, and gave Max his full attention as he asked, "And you were _how old_ when you went to Viet Nam and rescued your brother from a Viet Cong POW camp?"

Max stared and blinked once, briefly rubbing the back of his neck. He glanced apologetically at Casey before saying, "Well, I'm out. Grant—your argument." He gave Grant a small, unhelpful, _good luck_ tap on the back.

Grant turned to Nicholas, opening his mouth. He never made it beyond the first syllable of whatever he was planning to say.

"Right," Nicholas said, glancing at Max wryly and stopping Grant short. "Because graduating from MIT at _sixteen_ and starting work for the IMF that same year completely qualifies him to make your point."

Grant closed his mouth. He and Max traded looks with lifted eyebrows and seemingly came to an agreement. Simultaneously, they shrugged into Casey's longsuffering sigh. "What can I say, Casey?" Grant placated. "The man's got skills." He waved a hand at Nicholas.

When Kieron walked into the room less than a second later, the two agents turned to him and spoke in unison. "Welcome to the team."

Casey huffed, shaking her head with a small smile.

Grant and Max stooped to pick up the equipment they'd been packing and carried it out the back door.

Kieron watched their exit with curiosity. "Did I miss something?" he asked.

"Yeah," Casey smiled. "The shortest argument in history."

Nicholas laughed lightly, not missing a beat as he continued to pack extra equipment into the box on his left, but he could feel Casey's eyes on him.

Finally relenting, he looked over his shoulder to meet her contemplative scrutiny.

"What?" he asked, hands on the crate, preparing to lift.

"How old were you when you started working for IMF?" she asked.

Settling the box in his arms, Nicholas smiled wider, but didn't answer. As he passed Kieron on his way out, he said, "Stay close to Casey, Kieron. She'll show you everything you need to know."

And as he stepped through the door, he heard Kieron's voice behind him, asking Casey, "Anything I need to worry about?"

"No," she said, a laugh under her answer. "No. You're going to be just fine."

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:)

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Author notes: In the episode "Holograms" the Mission Impossible team temporarily adds a teenage boy to their team. While Jim is showing the team the boy's picture and telling them he will be with them on this mission, Max gets a very concerned look on his face and says, "But he's just a kid." Which, granted, is a logical concern, but felt funny coming from Max, considering what he himself had accomplished as a teen. The previous scene was born.

Also, this was written forever ago, and dragged from the depths of my ancient computer… may you accept it for what it is.


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